Our author says:
"The Pope is also taken to task for saying, in his general audience of July 28, 1999, that Hell is not a place. But what he actually said is that Hell is "more than a place." (This is pointed out in a "Faith Fact" published by Catholics United for the Faith, and quoted by James Drummey in his Wanderer column, Catholic Replies.) The English translation of the Pope’s address rendered the Italian as "rather than a place," instead of the accurate "more than a place.""
The incriminated passage with context in the original Italian:
"Le immagini con cui la Sacra Scrittura ci presenta l’inferno devono essere rettamente interpretate. Esse indicano la completa frustrazione e vacuità di una vita senza Dio.
L’inferno sta ad indicare più che un luogo, la situazione in cui viene a trovarsi chi liberamente e definitivamente si allontana da Dio, sorgente di vita e di gioia."
Link to the Italian:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_28071999_it.html Official Vatican translation into English:
"The images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted. They show the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God. Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy."
Link to the English:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_28071999_en.html My understanding of the Italian (which I am completely fluent in) is exactly as rendered in the Vatican translation to English - "more than" in this case cannot be used. The Italian does not mean "hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy, AS WELL AS A PLACE" which is what our author was implying.
Moreover JP2 continues:
"This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the truths of faith on this subject: “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called ‘hell’” (n. 1033)."
and further
"Eternal damnation remains a real possibility, but we are not granted, without special divine revelation, the knowledge of whether or which human beings are effectively involved in it. The thought of hell — and even less the improper use of biblical images — must not create anxiety or despair, but is a necessary and healthy reminder of freedom within the proclamation that the risen Jesus has conquered Satan, giving us the Spirit of God who makes us cry “Abba, Father!” (Rm 8:15; Gal 4:6)."
We critics may be harsh with JP2 (and I have confessed this sin often), but his 'supporters' tend to fall into the cheerleader frame of mind ending up with what looks like Hero-worship (as mentioned by Aloysius above).
più che un luogoMy understanding of the Italian (which I am completely fluent in)
I too am fluent in Italian. "più che un luogo" = "more than a place".
You are simply proving the author correct in his assertion that "traditionalists" pour over and scrutinize every word that is uttered by this pope. Shall we bring out the letters of Bishop Williamson who can't hold a candle to the light emanating from Pope John Paul II.
Official Vatican translation into English:
"The images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted. They show the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God. Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy." *************************************
In this passage, John Paul is saying two things that seem to go against my understanding of Church doctrine.
1)
John Paul said that Hell is not a physical place, but just a spiritual separation from God. If that were the case, one who denied God in this life wouldn't have to wait to die, he would be in Hell right now, on Earth, because of his denial of God.
2)
John Paul said that "The images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted," and then interpeted Sacred Scripture in a way I haven't seen before. Does that mean that centuries of Church teachings were flawed?